First, the thing that matters most: this is a sweet wine. Doisy-Daëne is a classed growth of Barsac, the smaller commune within the Sauternes area whose wines are traditionally a shade lighter and more nervy than those from Sauternes proper. It is made from grapes shrivelled by botrytis, the noble rot, picked in successive passes through the vineyard over several weeks.
The Dubourdieu family have owned the estate since 1924 and are among the most respected white winemakers in Bordeaux. Doisy-Daëne carries more Sauvignon Blanc than most of its neighbours, which is why it tends towards citrus and lemon-barley freshness rather than heavy marmalade.
1985 brought a dry autumn and limited botrytis, so the sweet wines of that year are lighter and less concentrated than 1983 or 1986. That is worth saying plainly. In its favour, sweet wine is the most durable thing Bordeaux makes: sugar and acidity together preserve a bottle far longer than any red, and a forty-year-old Barsac in good health is not a rare find.
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Producer: Château Doisy-Daëne
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Vintage: 1985
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Appellation: Barsac AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Sweet or fortified
Where it is likely to be now. Sweet Barsac is by some distance the most durable wine in this catalogue, and a 1985 filled to the neck should still be fresh, if lighter than a great botrytis year would have given.
Who it suits. The safest choice here for a forty-first birthday or anniversary, since sweet wine survives best and a dessert bottle is easy to share at the end of a meal.
Condition. Slight bin-soiling on the label from years in a cellar rack, and the fill is still up in the neck, which is about as good as a 1985 gets.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
